


One Flower Endured Through It Alone

by AdoraByun



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Age Difference, Alpha Zhang Yi Xing | Lay, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Growing Up, I'm Bad At Tagging, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, No Incest, Omega Byun Baekhyun, Rape/Non-con Elements, Scenting, Self-Hatred, Self-Lubrication, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Social Issues, mention of MPREG
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-09 12:29:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19887847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdoraByun/pseuds/AdoraByun
Summary: In a society that doesn't accept omegas, Baekhyun somehow makes it through . . . and maybe Yixing shows him the way.Brought up as brothers, Yixing is always by Baekhyun's side. Baekhyun can't imagine spending a moment without the boy, but his world comes crashing down around him when Yixing goes to high school halfway across the country, leaving Baekhyun feeling abandoned and betrayed. As he grows up, the brotherly bond he once felt with Yixing disappears completely, and Baekhyun doesn't know how to react when the alpha makes a reappearance in his life once again.





	1. preface / foreword

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ; this is sort of a backstory to the main story
> 
> a/n at the end :)

Most children begin making memories by the age of three. By age seven, they forget events that happened in the past in a phenomenon known as childhood amnesia. Children will completely forget some events, others will be remembered in a dreamlike sense, and others still were so profound they won’t be altered or forgotten at all.

Yixing didn’t know about all his other childhood memories and why they were so muddled and difficult to recall, but there was one moment he knew he could never forget, and he would never want to forget it either. This particular memory at the age of four was the first Yixing could recollect, and it was special because his entire life after it was almost crystal clear...and it was all because of…

Baekhyun.

It’s a crisp autumn day. The sun is shining, and it’s just cool enough to need long sleeves yet not cold enough for a jacket, but when the sun sets the nights get suddenly cold and lonely.

Yixing begs Mama and Umma to take him to the park today before it gets too cold to go outside, and of course his moms readily agreed, eager to please their son who rarely asks for anything.

Yixing plays with the children there, though he’s never met some of them before. He’s always nice to everyone and the other kids let him play with them and join their games.

He makes designs in the sandbox with two younger girls who smell like betas, like Mama and Umma.

He plays cops and robbers with three older boys and an older girl who he sees at the park often. They all smell like alphas, like Yixing himself.

He pushes a younger boy who smells like a weird mix of alpha and beta on the swing set before they trade places and the boy pushes Yixing for a while.

Yixing is sitting on top of the jungle gym feeling the breeze on his damp forehead when he spots an opening in the trees at the edge of the park that seems to be calling to him. He makes the decision to leave the playground without Mama and Umma for the first time ever. He climbs off the jungle gym and evades the other children around him, stopping at the border that separates the playground from the rest of the park. He quickly looks back at the benches where Mama and Umma are sitting and chatting with the other parents, paying him no mind because Yixing never walks out of the playground.

But today Yixing wants to explore.

When he notices his moms aren’t watching him, Yixing runs off to the opening in the trees on the far side of the park and disappears into the woods. He walks between the towering trees and lets his small hands drag on the rough trunks and pull leaves off low hanging branches as he passes them. He enjoys the quiet around him, and soon he’s so deep in the wilderness he can only just hear the joyful screams and yells of the children back at the park.

Yixing hears the birds in their nests chirping in the highest limbs and sees squirrels chasing each other around him. He hears bugs buzzing past him and squats down to watch a line of ants going in and out of a giant anthill.

Yixing steps carefully and lets his feet roll slowly from his heel to his toes so he can savor the sound of crunching leaves.

Then he hears it.

It’s faint and Yixing is sure his ears are playing tricks on him, but then he hears it again. A soft cry not too far from where he stands frozen with one foot hovering in the air. He listens with his eyes now, looking around without turning his head and waiting to hear something more when it comes once again. A little whine to his left.

Yixing doesn’t know how all the animals sound, but Mama and Umma gave him a toy that makes the sounds of baby animals. The cry doesn’t sound like anything on his toy, but since he decided to explore today, and because he thinks whatever made the cry might be hurt or scared, he turns toward the sound and follows it.

Yixing reaches a spot where the leaves have obviously been disturbed, and another small cry emits from underneath them. The boy drops to his knees and carefully moves the leaves aside, then lets out a gasp.

A baby.

Yixing found a baby.

Sunlight filters through the treetops in that moment and falls directly in the baby’s eyes, making it cry in discomfort.

“Shhh baby, it’s okay,” Yixing whispers as he moves to block the sunlight with his body.

He looks around for something, anything. The baby’s parents must be around somewhere. But when Yixing raises his face to sniff at the air and scent anyone who might be nearby, he doesn’t smell anything at all except the forest air around him and something...sweet?

Yixing’s brows knit in confusion and he inhales deeply. This isn’t the strong, earthy scent of an alpha or the subdued, comforting scent of a beta. Yixing has never smelled anything like this in his short life, he’s sure of it.

The sweet scent fills his lungs and he quickly decides he loves it. It fills his chest the way a laugh does when it bubbles inside you right before you let it out, it makes his heart beat a little faster, it makes his brain feel fuzzy, but he loves it.

Yixing’s eyes fall on the baby below him and he realizes the delightful scent is coming from it, like it’s trying to draw Yixing in, asking him to love and protect the little infant though he’s only just discovered it.

Yixing’s hand comes forward of its own accord. Like he’s hypnotized, the boy reaches for the baby’s face and gently, lighter than a feather, lets a finger caress the baby’s soft cheek. The newborn coos softly and Yixing will swear forever, tell everyone who will listen to the story long enough that the baby smiled at him.

The baby reaches up and grasps Yixing’s small finger in its smaller hand with strength Yixing wasn’t expecting, and the boy snaps out of his stupor. He uses all the muscles in his four-year-old body to lift the baby carefully from the ground. With it cradled in his arms Yixing stands and looks down at the small creature’s smooth face once more, leans down to sniff at the baby’s neck where the sweet scent is the most potent, and then takes off as fast as possible toward the park, yelling for Mama and Umma.

Baekhyun thinks about it sometimes, now that he's older. He thinks about his childhood and tries to figure out what his very first memory actually was. He assumed for the longest time that his first memory would be a special day, like a birthday or an exciting trip...but once he grasps it, that one profound moment when his entire being realized its purpose before his mind could catch up to it, he realizes it wasn't an especially exciting day at all.

This memory didn’t seem especially unique either; in fact, it was similar to the hundreds of other memories almost exactly like it that filled Baekhyun’s childhood. Yet, somehow, this one day stood out from all the others. This one game that he had played a thousand times was made more significant, somehow.

There was no cloudiness that clings to old memories, or the white edges that accompany the description of a dream from a few nights ago. There was no confusion. Baekhyun distinctly recalls his first memory at age five.

Yixing.

They were playing tag and Baekhyun was ‘it’. He had tripped just as his fingers were about to touch Yixing’s back. He somersaulted and landed flat on his butt and immediately tears sprang to eyes and a whimper rose in his throat. Before he could cry out, Yixing was in front of him, filling his field of vision and blocking out the blinding sun with a concerned face and a question.

“Baekhyunnie, are you okay?”

Yixing’s voice is full of worry. It always is, but especially with Baekhyun.

Yixing is gentler with Baekhyun.

Smiles softer.

Touch lighter.

Eyes warmer.

Yixing brushes Baekhyun’s hair off his sweaty forehead and cups Baekhyun’s cheeks with both hands, eyes searching his face for scratches.

Baekhyun feels the tears in his eyes recede and he sniffs lightly, but it’s enough to fill his lungs and head and heart with Yixing’s scent, and the younger boy lets his lips curve slightly in the softest of smiles as his eyes flutter shut.

Baekhyun doesn’t know what Mama and Umma mean when they mention “alpha” and “beta”, but he knows that Yixing’s scent makes him calm and happy, and it fills heart to bursting.

Baekhyun opens his eyes after taking another breath, longer and deeper this time just to swathe himself in Yixing’s scent.

“Okay,” Baekhyun whispers to the older boy, and he sees the worry fade away from Yixing’s face just as quickly as it had appeared.

Yixing smiles at Baekhyun widely and takes him by the hand, hauls him off the ground and brushes dirt and grass off the boy’s pants.

Yixing entwines their fingers and he takes off with Baekhyun through their yard once more. Baekhyun wishes they could go to the public park where he sees other children play, but he knows Mama and Umma don’t like the park for some reason. Yixing used to go to the park, so it must be Baekhyun’s fault that they’ve never been together, right? He would sulk about taking something like that away from Yixing, but the older boy never smiles as much as when he plays with Baekhyun in their own yard.

Baekhyun loves Yixing’s smile. He tries to make Yixing smile more, so he can poke at the boy’s dimple and see his pretty lips curve even wider and his pretty eyes turn into crescents with the force of it.

Yixing’s melodic laugh pulls Baekhyun out of his own thoughts, and he just stares and stares and stares at Yixing’s happy, sweaty face as they run around still hand in hand. Baekhyun loves Yixing’s smile, and today it suddenly makes him happier than he ever remembered being before.

He breathes in the older boy’s scent once again and lets out a laugh of his own when he exhales.

Yixing is nice. Yixing is good. Yixing is soft and warm and happy...Yixing is Baekhyun’s everything.

Baekhyun loves his Yixing.

At five years old, Baekhyun knew this much at least. He loved Mama and he loved Umma and he loved Yixing too...maybe most of all.


	2. part one: protection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter tags & possible triggers: descriptive bullying, descriptive violence, lots of growing up, lots of backstory, am i allowed to call any of this fluff(?), angry alpha yixing, friendship, baekxing’s perfect moms, confusing feelings on yixing’s end, time jumping through pt.1 so i can get to pt.2 & 3, omniscient jongdae who knows how this fic will end when even i don’t know  
> word count: 9.6k

Baekhyun is attached to Yixing.

He loves Yixing with all his heart and he does everything with him; he’s emotionally attached to his brother, of course.

But in this moment, walking through the hallways to where the lower grade level kids’ classrooms are, Baekhyun is  _ physically _ attached to Yixing to the point where the older boy can barely walk upright.

After hobbling down the hall carrying both his own weight as well as majority of Baekhyun’s, Yixing finally speaks up.

“Baekhyunnie, walk on your own. Or at least let me go and just take my hand,” Yixing whines, voice muffled by the mop of slightly curling hair on Baekhyun’s head that’s almost being shoved in the young alpha’s mouth due to the shorter boy’s head being pressed under his chin. There’s no venom in Yixing’s voice, though, and he squeezes Baekhyun tighter against his chest even as the request to be let loose comes out of his mouth.

Baekhyun whines and releases Yixing, distancing himself but still holding onto Yixing’s hand. Yixing looks at him fondly and chuckles before tugging Baekhyun closer, earning a toothy, square shaped grin from the short boy as they continue down the hallway.

Both boys know that Baekhyun could get the elder to carry him around the entire school bridal style with just a flutter of his eyelashes. Baekhyun would never ask him to do that though.

Probably.

Baekhyun has always been clingy with Yixing, even as a baby, holding onto any part of Yixing’s body that he could loop his arm or leg or even finger around.

Today, however, there are two reasons why Baekhyun is exceptionally clingy.

The first reason, so Baekhyun claims, is because this is the last day of Yixing’s elementary school career. The last day of class for all the other students is a happy occasion - classroom parties are held, good summer wishes are exchanged, playdates and sleepovers are planned - but for Baekhyun, this last day of class is a somber affair. His precious Yixing will be moving on to middle school, and he and Baekhyun will never be in the same school building together again.

Baekhyun tries not to dwell on the situation too long at a time because it stresses him out. Up to this point in his life, he has spent every waking moment, and many sleeping moments when sees an opportunity, with Yixing. He doesn’t quite know how he’ll handle not being in the same building as the alpha, eating lunch with him, peeking into his classroom, walking hand in hand to and from school… his seven-year-old heart sinks every time he thinks about it.

The second reason Baekhyun is so clingy is because he depends on Yixing’s protection, and the comfort that he finds in the eleven-year-old alpha and his strong, soothing scent.

The summer between his first and second year of school served the other boys and most of the girls in Baekhyun’s grade well. They grew taller, faster, and tougher in just three months, as their alpha and beta physiology promised to do throughout their adolescence. Baekhyun, however, didn’t grow a single inch and stayed as thin as he was when he showed up to his very first day of school. Seeing his slow growth as an opportunity to tease, many of Baekhyun’s alpha and beta peers and upperclassmen bullied him mercilessly, both verbally and physically. They would push him around, force him to do their cleanup duties at the threat of a beating, actually beat him up when Baekhyun didn’t do what they wanted or even if the boy just did something to grate their nerves, and make fun of him for being weak, for looking and acting like an omega.

“But I  _ am  _ an omega! What’s so wrong with that!?”

Baekhyun wants to yell so bad, wants to let the other kids know that he is so small and frail because his omega nature won’t allow anything else, but he knows everything will get a hundred times worse if he utters those surreptitious words.

Omegas aren’t accepted in society.

As far back as any historian can record, omegas have always been treated poorly, used only as a means to bear future alpha and beta children. An omega’s monthly heat schedule, petite stature, and feebleness are enough to deserve hatred in the eyes of their larger and stronger counterparts. It is claimed that omegas use their overbearingly sweet scent and seductive bodies to win alphas and betas trust and admiration, only to trick them in the end and leave them with nothing. Omegas are seen as promiscuous, erratic, untrustworthy...incapable of anything but deceit.

Over time, resentment towards omegas grew to the breaking point, and eventually only alpha/beta and beta/beta pairs were made. Although omega’s bodies are built to more easily take an alpha’s knot and conceive, it is rare that alpha/beta or beta/beta pairs produce omega children. It’s a struggle for an alpha to knot a beta, and beta/beta pairs have difficulty conceiving since they don’t have knots, ruts, or heats, but these hardships are justified as long as the chance of producing an omega is slim to none.

Though Baekhyun doesn’t quite understand all of the logistics at this point, he knows to keep his true identity a secret. He knows why his moms douse his body and clothing in the beta-scented blockers whenever they leave the house. Betas aren’t particularly pungent, but the beta-scented blockers can neutralize anyone’s scent, and they’re generally used by alphas during their rut, so their scent doesn’t set other alphas off and cause fights. Baekhyun knows why he must lie to everyone and tell them he’s a beta. He is aware that he is different from everyone he has ever met, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t find it hard to accept. It doesn’t mean he never questions his fate, even at the tender age of seven.

So instead of leaving himself exposed to the bullies and making the trek to his classroom alone, Baekhyun goes happily with Yixing by his side.

Yixing has quite a reputation amongst the students at school. If it wasn’t for his obvious alpha presence and stature, his kind personality and dimpled smile would have everyone convinced that he is just a very strong beta. However, when he sees somebody messing with Baekhyun, Yixing becomes a completely different person. The alpha has given plenty of black eyes and sound beatings to various alphas and betas. Younger, older, smaller, larger, male, female...it doesn’t matter to Yixing. Everyone knows that if they make trouble for Baekhyun, Yixing will make trouble for them. He doesn’t even allow anyone to get close to the omega, throwing his scent out to create a wide vicinity of protection around Baekhyun. Only someone with a death wish would cross the omega in those moments, when Yixing reeks of possessiveness and overprotection. And now, ever since Yixing very publicly twisted the arm of a little alpha boy named Namjoon after seeing him push Baekhyun to the ground, no one even dares to glance at the omega when the alpha is with him.

More amazing than anything is Yixing’s transformation from adoring brother to ruthless defender. Nobody would believe the soft, tender Yixing who absolutely spoils and dotes on Baekhyun is the same Yixing who beats up his upperclassmen with abhorrence in his eyes.

Baekhyun himself has never seen Yixing in a bad light, though.

“Yah, Byun Baekhyun!” someone yells behind the walking boys, feet running toward them loudly.

Baekhyun feels Yixing bristle beside him before he feels the alpha’s scent expanding and shifting from a soothing blanket over Baekhyun’s shoulders into a warning for the on comer telling them to  _ back off _ . Baekhyun knows this voice though, it’s his best, and only, friend Jongdae. Yixing recognizes it too and immediately retracts his scent so it isn’t as distressing but still very present and a little possessive.

Baekhyun knows that Yixing finds his friendship with Jongdae baffling because the loud beta is only an annoyance in Yixing’s life. Not only does he steal Baekhyun’s attention from the alpha, but he flaunts the fact that he can in front of Yixing every chance he gets. Jongdae is also as shameless as Baekhyun, maybe even more so, acting cute and begging until he gets everything he wants. The difference is that Yixing finds Baekhyun’s begging cute and endearing. Jongdae’s begging just hurts the alpha’s ears. Because he’s Baekhyun’s only friend, though, Yixing usually lets him get away with, if only to please the omega.

“Jongdae!” Baekhyun calls back enthusiastically. He quickly spins around and Jongdae’s body collides with his, the beta enveloping the omega in a bear hug. Baekhyun squeezes Jongdae and presses his nose under his friend’s jaw, breathing in his soft, barely-there beta scent gleefully. Jongdae is the only other person whose presence brings Baekhyun comfort other than his moms’ and Yixing’s.

Jongdae lets Baekhyun go and backs up only enough to hold Baekhyun at arm’s length. He smiles widely, lips curling at the corners in that way Baekhyun finds absolutely adorable and made him want to befriend the beta in the first place.

“Can you believe it’s the last day of school already, Baekhyunnie? I’m so excited! We can play at your house every day and have sleepovers at my house and  _ oh  _ I just got this new video game you absolutely  _ have  _ to play and --,” Jongdae cuts himself off when he notices Yixing still holding onto Baekhyun’s hand, “Yah, Zhang Yixing. Why don’t you let go of Baekhyunnie? There’s nobody around, and I can walk with him to our room now.”

Yixing frowns and clutches Baekhyun’s hand even tighter, lets his scent flare once more.

“And put your crazy alpha odor away too, you’re scaring off the children,” Jongdae says while pinching his nose and waving his hand in the air dramatically.

“Jongdae,  _ you  _ are the child I’m trying to scare off,” Yixing growls.

Anyone else would have backed away immediately, but Jongdae knows he can get away with almost anything because of his friendship with Baekhyun. The beta tips head back, looking down his nose at Yixing even though the alpha is taller than him, and Yixing takes the bait. He steps toward Jongdae, but Baekhyun grabs his arm with his free hand to stop him. He knows Jongdae is goading Yixing and showing a reaction will just encourage his friend further. Baekhyun squeezes the alphas hand to signal that he’ll be fine with Jongdae from here. Yixing reluctantly sets the omega’s hand free.

Jongdae pipes up while watching the exchange, smirk plastered on his face.

“You know  _ I’m  _ Baekhyunnie’s best friend right?” the beta says with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He grabs Baekhyun’s hand in his own.

“You  _ are  _ my best friend, but you know Yixing-hyung is just protective of me because he’s my brother,” Baekhyun chirps.

“Well, you may live together but you aren’t  _ actual  _ brothers. You don’t even have the same family name!” Jongdae throws his head back and guffaws triumphantly like he just won an argument but stops short when Baekhyun pinches his arm. Jongdae knows better than to question the status of Yixing and Baekhyun’s brotherhood, especially in front of the latter.

“We don’t have the same family name but that doesn’t mean we aren’t still basically brothers,” Baekhyun says a tad angrily now.

Baekhyun has heard the story a hundred times before - it’s practically a fairytale for him - how a four-year-old Yixing discovered newborn Baekhyun in the woods just outside the park; how he ran screaming for his moms with Baekhyun cradled in his arms; how the beta mothers, Byun Hye-joo and Zhang Yu Yan, took in the omega baby without a second thought because they are lovely women who believe all life has value.

Baekhyun was placed in the woods by his birth parents to die. If the cold didn’t take him first then the starvation surely would have. After finding out their baby is an omega, it’s uncomfortably common for parents to drown their newborn or leave them exposed to the elements, like Baekhyun’s birth parents did.

They don’t know anything about the omega’s parents, and they assume the baby had been in the woods for hours before Yixing found him. Taking the baby to the doctor would mean having to report the crime committed by Baekhyun’s parents, and thereby exposing the boy as an omega. Fortunately, Hye-Joo is a doctor and was able to care for Baekhyun and nurse him back to health in their home, keeping his status as an abandoned omega under wraps.

Situations like Baekhyun’s don’t get any coverage on the news channels or stories in the newspapers, and if they do happen to get publicized the authorities do nothing about it. Therefore, exposing the depraved practice only serves to reinforce the idea that extinguishing omegas is the right thing to do.

Baekhyun understands exactly who he is and where he comes from, but thanks to Yixing and his adoptive parents, the omega has never gone a day that he can remember without being loved and cared for. To make sure Baekhyun and Yixing understood the circumstances of their family, their moms gave Baekhyun Hye-joo’s family name while Yixing kept Yu Yan’s name, and raised them to be as close as blood brothers.

“Apologize to Yixing-hyung, Jongdae. I know you only act like this to make him angry,” Baekhyun finishes and looks demandingly at Jongdae.

Jongdae huffs and mumbles an apology under his breath. It’s the best Yixing will get from the beta.

Yixing scolds Jongdae, “Quit saying ‘yah’ to me, I’m older than you, you know. Also stop calling Baekhyun ‘Baekhyunnie’. That’s  _ my _ nickname for him.”

Jongdae sticks his tongue out at Yixing, but before the alpha can retaliate Baekhyun steps in.

“You’re going to be late to class if you stay Yixing-hyung,” the omega says quickly, and he throws his arms around Yixing’s neck, presses his nose to the older boy’s hairline to breathe him in one last time.

He feels arms wrap around his waist and a nose press onto his neck as the alpha does the same, and then they let each other go. Baekhyun smiles at Yixing, and when the elder smiles back Baekhyun reaches up to touch a finger to his dimple before leaning in and pressing a wet kiss to it.

“To our last day of school together!” Baekhyun yells, smiling triumphantly at Yixing’s astonished face as he steps out of the alpha’s grasp. He takes Jongdae by the hand and they race down the hall.

“M-meet me outside at the end of the day, okay!?” Yixing calls after them, and Baekhyun waves his hand as an okay without turning around.

Jongdae looks back as he and Baekhyun approach their class. Baekhyun doesn’t know what the beta is looking at, but before he can ask his best friend turns back around and smiles softly.

“You and Yixing are nothing like brothers,” he says to Baekhyun in an uncharacteristically quiet voice, and then, even quieter, “you act more like lovers.”

It’s almost too quiet for Baekhyun to hear, but he does.

_ Like lovers _ , Baekhyun thinks, and he blushes and smiles secretly to himself for the rest of the day.

\- - - - -

The summer break is full of fun for Baekhyun.

He spends plenty of time at Jongdae’s house and even more time with Yixing. The three of them play together and Yixing caters to both Baekhyun  _ and  _ Jongdae’s whims, much to the younger boys’ surprise. They play outside at Baekhyun and Yixing’s house because they have a trampoline, and they play inside at Jongdae’s house because he has the latest video games. The three of them run through the neighborhood until they’re out of breath and Baekhyun whines for someone to give him a piggyback ride back home.

Yixing happily obliges.

It’s practically perfect in every way and over entirely too fast as Baekhyun finds himself in the bathtub on the night before the first day of the new school year.

Long ago, Yu Yan had ended Baekhyun and Yixing bathing together. Once the omega started school, his mother declared both boys were at an age where they shouldn’t be sharing baths anymore, and no amount of whining on Baekhyun’s end made her change her mind.

“You’re too dependent on him Baekhyun-ah,” she said as she wiped the tears from the then five-year old’s eyes, “there are some things in life you need to do by yourself.”

“But Mama --” Baekhyun started with a sob, and Yu Yan cut him off sternly before he could even get the protest out of his mouth completely.

“No arguing. Now go on and take your bath before the water gets cold.”

Baekhyun turned to his other mother and let out another pitiful sob.

“Umma...” the omega whined tearfully. He grabbed Hye-Joo by the skirt and looked up at her hopefully, knowing that she would give into Baekhyun’s begging more easily than Yu Yan. She shook her head, though, and just pet Baekhyun’s hair.

“You heard Mama, Baekhyun, and I agree with her. Hush and go bathe.”

He had pouted the entire night and sat in the bathtub until the water was cold and Yixing had to go in and fetch him.

Baekhyun still disagrees with his moms reasoning - he can absolutely do everything with Yixing forever - but he doesn’t whine or beg and ask to join Yixing’s showers anymore.

Instead he sneaks into Yixing’s room most nights and sleeps in the alpha’s bed with him. He’s caught every night by one of his moms, however, and carried back to his own bed before he wakes up in the morning.

With his carefully laid plans for a sleepover in Yixing’s room fresh on his mind, Baekhyun washes up as fast as possible, puts on his pajamas, and lays in bed while Yu Yan kisses him goodnight. When Hye-joo comes in and kisses his forehead, Baekhyun catches her sleeve before she turns to leave.

“Umma,” he says in the saddest voice he can muster with his most pleading eyes, “since it’s the last night before school and Yixing-hyung is going to a different school tomorrow...can I please sleep in his room tonight? Please Umma?”

Hye-joo looks at Baekhyun sympathetically and the omega knows he’s already won. She can never resist Baekhyun’s puppy dog eyes without her mate there to back her up.

“Okay my baby,” the beta mother says with a fond smile, “but just for tonight. And be quiet so Mama doesn’t hear you.”

Baekhyun throws his blanket off and jumps into his mom’s arms, giggling and promising to be quiet as a mouse.

“You knew Mama would say no, didn’t you?” Hye-joo laughs. She’s not at all upset; she’s always been weak to Baekhyun’s pleas. Baekhyun hears her sniff right behind his ear, “You also didn’t use the scent blocker. You know Yixing will have to shower in the morning before he leaves the house if you go in there now.”

“They make my nose itch Umma. Can’t I skip it tonight?” Baekhyun pleads once more.

The beta rolls her eyes, but the affectionate smile never leaves her face.

“Fine, but you better apologize to Yixing for making him shower twice.”

“I will. I love you, Umma.”

“I love you too, my sweet boy.”

After Baekhyun hears his moms’ bedroom door shut, he gets out of bed and tiptoes silently to Yixing’s room.

As soon as he enters the room Baekhyun breathes in deep to let the alpha’s scent envelope him. The omega’s eyes flutter shut, and he already feels sleepier and more comfortable. He shuffles over to Yixing’s bed and pokes the alpha’s shoulder until he begins to stir.

“Baekhyunnie?” Yixing whispers as he sits up in bed and rubs his eyes.

“Yixing-hyung,” Baekhyun whisper yells, “Umma said I can sleep in here tonight!”

“Oh really?” Yixing whispers back with a chuckle. The alpha holds up the blanket for Baekhyun to settle under and the younger boy hops in hastily. Baekhyun smiles widely and looks adoringly at Yixing, wrapping his arms around the older boy’s waist and shimmying further down the bed. Yixing chuckles again and wraps his arms around the omega as well.

“I can’t believe you actually got permission this time,” Yixing says quietly. He kisses the top of the omega’s head and Baekhyun feels him shiver. “You smell so sweet Baekhyunnie.”

Baekhyun feels warm from his head to his toes.

“Didn’t use the scent blocker. Umma told me to say sorry. You’ll have to shower again in the morning,” Baekhyun murmurs, already half asleep.

“It’s okay.”

They fall silent and Baekhyun feels himself succumbing to sleep rapidly until Yixing speaks again.

“Sorry I can’t protect you at school anymore Baekhyunnie.”

Baekhyun hums, “S’okay. I have Jongdae still, don’t worry.”

Yixing cards his fingers through the omega’s damp hair and Baekhyun nuzzles against Yixing’s chest.

“I’ll always worry about you, Baek,” Yixing whispers, but it hits Baekhyun’s ears from afar as he drifts to sleep.

When Yu Yan hears Yixing showering the next morning, she gives Hye-joo an exasperated look and Baekhyun a smack on the butt.

\- - - - -

The following school year passes by uneventfully - Baekhyun sorely misses Yixing’s presence, but somehow the omega hasn’t encountered a single bully in any way, shape, or form. Baekhyun sometimes feels eyes following him through school, and when he looks around he’ll catch a couple of his known bullies turning their heads or openly staring at him in distaste, but nobody has mocked him or laid a finger on him so far. He supposes that nobody has forgotten that he’s still under Yixing’s protection, and though the alpha isn’t in the same building to witness any attacks on Baekhyun, it doesn’t mean he can’t find the assailants after school sometime and teach them a lesson.

To Baekhyun’s utter delight, he finds that he did grow a couple of inches over the summer. He’s still thin as a rail, and his small development is still nothing compared to his classmates’ constant growth and increased strength, but Baekhyun doesn’t compare himself to any of them. Even Jongdae is noticeably taller, shoulders a tiny bit broader, and the beta boasts loudly to everyone upon returning to school. Yixing has grown too, of course - his shoulders are wider, and Baekhyun notices that he has to stand on the tips of his toes whenever he throws his arms around the alpha’s neck in a hug. The way Yixing’s eyes soften when he looks down at Baekhyun hasn’t changed, though. His smile is just the same as ever as well, and Baekhyun still pokes the dimple in the alpha’s cheek whenever he can.

It’s halfway through the school year and officially Christmas break now. All of the classes had Christmas parties to celebrate with one another before the two-week holiday, and Baekhyun had fun eating his fill of the party snacks and attempting to kiss Jongdae under the mistletoe.

The omega is now sitting alone on the front steps of the school waiting for Jongdae and daydreaming about the upcoming break. He’s excited to walk home with his best friend and surprise him with the gift Baekhyun made for him that’s waiting under the Christmas tree. He made gifts for Yu Yan, Hye-Joo, and Yixing as well, of course, and above everyone else Baekhyun is most excited to see what Yixing’s face will look like when he opens his gift.

It’s cold outside and well after the last school bell rang. Baekhyun pulls his scarf tighter around his neck as he shivers from the biting wind and a weird sense of nervousness in the pit of his stomach. There isn’t anybody else around the building, and Baekhyun realizes belatedly that he’s been too absentminded, that he shouldn’t have ignored the weird feeling he’s had since coming outside by himself.

He didn’t notice the two alphas who slowly approached him from behind. The only warning he gets is a sudden, powerful whiff of angry alpha before he’s shoved in his back, toppling head first down the steps.

“Yah Byun, don’t you think you’re overdue for a good beating?”

Baekhyun looks up and sees two alphas with the worst reputation of all the upperclassmen, both in their last year of elementary school. The one who spoke is a girl with long blonde hair named Hyoyeon, and the one who he assumes shoved him is a boy with black hair and a bowl cut named Yoongi. Hyoyeon has personally bullied Baekhyun in the past, and as a result has been on the receiving end of a punch or two from Yixing. Yoongi has never messed with Baekhyun before, therefore Yixing has never had reason to bother him, but Baekhyun has seen the tired looking alpha walking around with Namjoon. He’s probably doing this for revenge after Yixing twisted his friend’s arm, Baekhyun thinks.

“Where’s that ass wipe alpha of yours to protect you now, huh?” Hyoyeon continues as both she and Yoongi close in on him, cracking their knuckles on the way.

Baekhyun flinches at Hyoyeon’s language as well as the insult on Yixing, and the alphas bark out a laugh. Nobody in his life curses, especially not at the omega himself. Baekhyun scrambles to stand up to at least attempt to defend himself, but Yoongi kicks him back to the ground with a foot on the omega’s chest.

“Not so fast you little omega-beta,” Yoongi says with a sick smile, “your precious  _ hyung _ didn’t really think everything through when he decided to protect you like he did. Someone has to pay for all the shit Yixing did to everyone because of you. And I don’t see him anywhere around, do you Hyo?”

“Tch. I sure don’t, Yoongi. Guess this little bitch will have to do.”

Yoongi hauls Baekhyun off the ground roughly and stands behind the omega with an arm behind his back and under his arms to hold him up. The alpha’s hand threads through Baekhyun’s hair and yanks painfully so Baekhyun is forced to look up at Hyoyeon’s glowering face.

“You’ve got some kind of nerve, Byun. Strutting around here with that stupid beta by your side. Everyone else might be too scared to lay their hands on you, but I’m sure as hell not. You’re really gonna get it today,” Hyoyeon sneers.

“P-please,” Baekhyun starts, tears already threatening to spill from his eyes. He figures begging is the only thing he can do right now, even if he knows it won’t make the situation any better. “Please stop. I-I’m sorry. Yixing-hyung...I didn’t ask him t-to do any of that stu-- ah!”

Hyoyeon punches Baekhyun in the stomach and the omega doubles over before Yoongi yanks him back up by the hair. Baekhyun coughs harshly and lets out an involuntary sob.

“ _ Please, please _ ,” Hyoyeon mocks and Yoongi laughs disgustingly behind him, “god, if you didn’t smell so much like a beta I’d be totally convinced you’re an omega. You’re so pathetic. Such a weakling.”

The female alpha grabs Baekhyun under his jaw and squeezes his face forcefully.

“You’re the saddest excuse for a beta I’ve ever seen. You’re nothing without that alpha by your side,” Hyoyeon says lowly, looking her victim in the eye. She smacks Baekhyun across the face, hard, and Baekhyun spits blood.

“You really should be thanking us, Byun,” Yoongi says in his ear, “this is a valuable life lesson. Puny bitches like you won’t make it far in this world.”

Yoongi releases Baekhyun only to twist his arm behind his back. Pain shoots up his arm and down his shoulder, and the omega cries out.

“That’s for Namjoon. And this-” he kicks Baekhyun’s legs out from under him and the younger boy hits the pavement face first, “-is for everyone else I know that Yixing laid his hands on.”

Baekhyun rolls on his side, tears streaming down his cheeks. He keeps his eyes closed and brings a hand to his wet face. His nose is bleeding, and he can feel a series of deep scratches on his cheek from where it met the pavement. He tastes more blood in his mouth. Even if Jongdae shows up right this second, the beta probably won’t be able to stop both alphas, and he can’t alert anybody of the situation because his stress pheromones won’t release from under his skin due to the scent blockers.

Baekhyun is totally screwed.

He tries to sit up weakly but is kicked back down again, and this time his head hits the cement in a way that makes it throb. Everything gets blurry. Baekhyun rolls onto his stomach and curls his legs underneath his body. He squeezes his eyes shut and places his hands on either side of his head to try to make the feeling of his brain hitting his skull stop. The omega feels one of alphas get on the ground behind him, but he doesn’t have the mobility to be able to get away. They grab him by the back of his scarf, wrench Baekhyun’s head back, and suddenly he can’t breathe. His eyes shoot open, his throat constricts; he tries desperately to say something, to pull the front of the scarf away from his neck to draw in a breath but he can’t. Baekhyun doesn’t know if this was their intention, but he’s being choked by his own scarf.

Black dots dance in front of his eyes and Baekhyun thinks about how angry Yixing will be whenever he finally makes it home. The alpha will never forgive himself for not being there to protect the omega. He doesn’t want to see Yixing cry over him.

His body is struggling too much with lack of oxygen to be able to produce tears, but Baekhyun can feel the anguish all over his body. He doesn’t want to hurt Yixing. He should have stayed with Jongdae instead of waiting for his friend outside.

Finally, the scarf is let go and Baekhyun sucks in a loud, desperate breath. He falls limply back to the ground and has a coughing fit. Hyoyeon and Yoongi speak above him, but it’s muffled, and he can’t make any of their words make sense.

_ I’m so stupid _ , Baekhyun thinks, or maybe he says it aloud, he can’t tell at this point,  _ I really am nothing without Yixing-hyung. _

Baekhyun senses another alpha approaching and he can’t believe how unlucky he is in this moment. He made it almost the whole year without being bullied, and now he’s being approached by not one, not two, but  _ three  _ alphas. The omega curls into a ball and covers his face so the alphas won’t be able to see him cry at least. He suddenly wishes the alpha who choked him had held onto the scarf long enough for Baekhyun to pass out.

“Leave him alone,” says a surprisingly deep voice. The voices aren’t as muffled, but they still sound far away. Baekhyun almost wants to open his eyes to see the owner of the voice, but he knows his vision won’t focus.

“Who the hell -- wait, aren’t you that quiet underclassman?” Hyoyeon scoffs. “This has nothing to with you, nerd. Leave.”

Baekhyun feels the new alpha’s presence grow tenfold before he speaks again. Whoever this alpha is, he’s strong. Baekhyun trembles on the ground.

“I said leave him alone. Unless you want me to join the fight too?”

Baekhyun hears Yoongi laugh, “Alright short stuff, you wanna go too? Let’s go. I can take you down easy -- ahh!!”

There’s a commotion and a yell of surprise and suddenly Yoongi is thrown to the ground not too far from Baekhyun. Baekhyun opens his eyes slightly and can just make out the scene as he sees Yoongi scramble to his feet. The alpha runs off cursing loudly. Hyoyeon hesitates and then runs after him, shouting too. The obvious strength of the newcomer must have scared her enough to not even attempt to start a fight.

“You’ll regret defending that omega-beta trash, you  _ freak _ !” she screams from a safe distance before she disappears completely.

When the sound of the alpha’s running feet fades away, Baekhyun allows his body to slump in relief. He immediately begins sobbing explosively into hands. Still on the ground, he curls in on himself and holds his own aching body. He can’t stop shaking.

A pair of strong hands grab Baekhyun and sit him upright, then arms wind around the omega’s curled up body, hugging him gently. It’s the new alpha who ran the other two off. His scent was powerful and intimidating when he was threatening Hyoyeon and Yoongi, but now it’s mild and almost unassuming. It has Baekhyun melting into the alpha’s hold.

“I-it’s okay, now,” the deep voice soothes, and it sounds so much softer speaking to Baekhyun than it had while threatening the alphas, almost timid, “they’re gone. I won’t hurt you. It’s okay.”

Ordinarily Baekhyun wouldn’t lean on anyone like this besides Jongdae or Yixing, but the situation has him in a complete breakdown. Plus, this alpha did just save him from who knows what kind of fate, and somewhere far away from his own head the omega registers just how nice this alpha smells. Not as nice as Yixing, but still really nice.

Once he’s calmed down after what feels like an eternity, Baekhyun finally finds his voice.

“Who a-are you?” Baekhyun whispers the question without opening his eyes. He doesn’t trust that his vision won’t still be swimming.

“Do Kyungsoo,” the deep voiced alpha replies, and his voice sounds nice too. Baekhyun wracks his brain but doesn’t find a face to fit the name. He lays a little longer in the alpha’s embrace and lets himself be consoled, tears still slipping out occasionally.

The sound of the school doors being slammed open nearly makes Baekhyun and the alpha both jump out of their skin.

“Baekhyunnie,” says Jongdae’s too loud voice, “sorry I took so long! I had to go to the music room and then -- hey. Hey! Hey don’t touch him! Alpha!”

At Jongdae’s screaming Do Kyungsoo takes his arms off of Baekhyun and holds them in the air to show Jongdae that he isn’t hurting his friend. Then Jongdae sees Baekhyun’s face and drops to his knees next to him.

“Oh my god...oh my god Baekhyun! What happened?? W-who did this!?”

Jongdae is on Baekhyun in an instant, holding his face in both hands. He sounds panicked and Baekhyun opens his eyes to see tears in the beta’s. Baekhyun wonders how many people he will make cry today.

“I’m okay, Jongdae,” Baekhyun says with the tiniest smile. He knows it doesn’t reach his eyes and he’s still in a great deal of pain, but he just wants Jongdae to calm down.

“No, you’re not! There’s blood all over your face! You...you... _ you.” _ Jongdae’s voice turns accusatory and his head snaps up to glare at the alpha still kneeling next to Baekhyun.

Now Baekhyun panics as he sees what conclusion Jongdae is coming to.

“No!” Baekhyun yells, and Jongdae freezes. “It wasn’t him. It doesn’t matter who it was now. He-he ran them off. He saved me.”

“And just who  _ are  _ you?” Jongdae snaps, jabbing a finger hard into the alpha’s chest. Kyungsoo winces but doesn’t do anything to stop the beta, letting himself be yelled at.

“Jongdae stop it!” Baekhyun yells again, but his friend doesn’t drop his suspicious gaze from the alpha’s face.

“My name is Do Kyungsoo,” the alpha repeats just the same as he had when Baekhyun asked.

“I told you he stopped them Jongdae, please. It’s okay.” Baekhyun moves his friend’s hand from the alpha’s chest and holds onto his wrist. He watches Jongdae for some kind of reaction while he and the alpha apparently have a staring contest with the omega between them.

“You look like a penguin,” Jongdae says with a straight face, and Baekhyun finds the situation so unexpectedly silly that he bursts out laughing.

He laughs until he cries again, and he can barely breathe. Opening his eyes to Jongdae’s bewildered face just starts another round of laughter in the omega, and Jongdae finally joins in, laughing loudly and hugging his friend now that he knows everything truly is fine.

Baekhyun finally calms down and wipes his eyes with the back of his hand. He looks over at the alpha, smiling brightly. He has black hair and thick rimmed glasses, and although he seems quite short he looks solidly built. The alpha smiles back at Baekhyun.

His lips are shaped like a heart.

Baekhyun decides he likes Do Kyungsoo a lot.

Kyungsoo escorts Baekhyun home along with Jongdae, and the omega is surprised to find out the alpha lives in the same neighborhood as he and Jongdae. They walk huddled together, Baekhyun between the other two, and they hunch their shoulders against the chilling breeze.

“Why haven’t we seen you before?” Jongdae interrogates Kyungsoo. The giggling episode in front of the school served to ease the tension earlier, but Jongdae seems suspicious of Kyungsoo’s motives still.

“I just moved here last year, and my parents always drive me to school. I’m...pretty shy, so I never talk to anybody,” and now that he mentions it, Baekhyun does recall a short, black haired alpha who was always hiding behind thick rimmed glasses and big, advanced learning books.

“If you’re so shy then why did you help Baekhyun earlier? You seem like the type to run away from a fight, not into one,” Jongdae resumes his interrogation and Baekhyun elbows his friend in the ribs for being rude. The boy just saved him after all.

“I always wanted to talk to Baekhyun... because he used to be all alone like me. But then I started seeing him with you,” Kyungsoo looks over at Jongdae, “and you’re just so… loud.”

Jongdae’s mouth drops open in shock but no words come out for once. Baekhyun hides a giggle behind his hand.

“Also,” Kyungsoo continues, looking at Baekhyun, “with my being an alpha I wouldn’t dare go anywhere near you. I didn’t think Yixing-ssi would take it too kindly.”

“Of course he wouldn’t have.” Jongdae says petulantly, “Yixing barely lets  _ me  _ come around Baekhyun, and we’ve been best friends for two years!”

“I can’t say that I blame him for not wanting you around honestly,” Kyungsoo says without looking back at Jongdae. The beta makes an offended noise and Baekhyun tries to disguise his next giggle as a cough before he speaks to Kyungsoo.

“Well since you’re talking to me now and everything...do you want to be friends, Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun smiles and takes the alpha’s hand in his. “I’m sure you’ve noticed, but Jongdae is my only friend right now, and if you wanted to talk to me before then surely you still want to talk to me now.”

Baekhyun looks hopefully at Kyungsoo. The alpha looks surprised for a moment, but then he blushes and nods slightly.

Baekhyun doesn’t let go of his hand. He grabs Jongdae’s hand on his other side and walks between them merrily the rest of the way to his house.

Nobody is home when the three boys reach Baekhyun’s house, and they decide to help clean Baekhyun up before they depart for their own homes. They go to the kitchen, and Kyungsoo and Jongdae wet a couple of rags and help Baekhyun sit on the counter so they can start wiping the blood and dirt off the omega’s face. The care the boys take to make sure they don’t hurt Baekhyun further makes him feel loved and happy. After what happened earlier he just closes his eyes, content to let himself be taken care of for a moment. Jongdae bickers about this and that, trying to get a reaction out of Kyungsoo, but the alpha just ignores him completely. Baekhyun smiles to himself. He thinks they’ll all be great friends soon.

Jongdae takes Baekhyun’s scarf off before the omega can stop him, and he gasps loudly.

“Baekhyun… your neck… there are bruises all over it,” the beta whispers. His fingers trail lightly down the column of his neck and e looks horrified as he eyes the bruising. He looks at Baekhyun like he wants an explanation. Or maybe he’s waiting for him to breakdown. Baekhyun just looks him in the eye and remains silent. He doesn’t know what to say. Jongdae simply nods once and continues wiping Baekhyun’s face. He’s grateful Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything either.

All of a sudden, Baekhyun hears the front door open. All three boys freeze, two pairs of eyes on Baekhyun and Baekhyun’s eyes on the kitchen doorway.

“Baekhyunnie?” Yixing calls.

Baekhyun has a battle within himself; he wants to simultaneously run to and away from Yixing. He can hear Yixing setting his bags down on the floor and walking through the house. Baekhyun panics and looks wildly between Jongdae and Kyungsoo. He doesn’t want Yixing to see the blood on his face and the rags. More urgently is the fact that Kyungsoo, an alpha unfamiliar to Yixing, is standing there touching Baekhyun with cuts all over his face. He’s not sure, but it’s safe to assume that Yixing won’t react calmly. Baekhyun looks for an escape route that he knows doesn’t exist. It’s too late to make the situation look any better, though. Yixing rounds the corner into the kitchen and Baekhyun can see Yixing’s nostrils flare. He takes one look at Baekhyun’s beaten face and his eyes fall on Kyungsoo.

Everything happens in a split second.

Yixing rushes at Kyungsoo and Jongdae screams “No!” but Yixing doesn’t listen. He grabs the new alpha by the collar and slams his back against the wall.

“ _ Alpha _ .” Yixing growls, and fear runs through Baekhyun’s body. He’s never seen Yixing this enraged before; his eyes look wild. Kyungsoo doesn’t make a single move to defend himself other than to put his arms over his face when Yixing cocks his fist, ready to punch Kyungsoo right in the jaw.

Baekhyun jumps off the counter and grabs Yixing’s raised fist with both hands.

“Yixing-hyung stop!” he shrieks, but the alpha doesn’t even look at him.

“Get back Baekhyun!” Yixing yells back, and his voice is full of anger. It’s the first time he has ever spoken to Baekhyun in that manner and the omega flinches violently and recoils, tears filling his eyes for the umpteenth time today.

Jongdae runs up to Yixing now and grabs the alpha’s other hand that has a death grip on Kyungsoo’s collar.

“Yixing listen to us, he didn’t do this! Please, you’re scaring Baekhyun!”

Yixing finally seems to snap out of it. He doesn’t drop his stance, but he does turn his head, gaze falling on Baekhyun’s frightened face. His mouth opens but before he can say anything Yu Yan and Hye-Joo sweep into the kitchen out of nowhere.

Hye-Joo gasps when she sees Baekhyun and Yu Yan immediately grabs Yixing and Kyungsoo, holding them away from each other, one alpha in each arm.

“What in the  _ world  _ is going on in here?” Yu Yan demands, looking from Yixing to Kyungsoo, back to Yixing and then at Baekhyun. “Oh my -- what happened to Baekhyun?”

“Mama,” Baekhyun cries, and he starts sobbing all over again, “it’s all my fault.”

And it is all his fault, Baekhyun thinks. It’s his fault that he sat outside the school alone and got attacked. It’s his fault that Yixing is so upset and is now likely in trouble with their moms. It’s his fault Kyungsoo almost got hit for doing nothing but taking care of Baekhyun. Everything is spinning out of control today and the guilt weighs on him heavily. Hye-Joo scoops Baekhyun up in her arms and he wraps his limbs around her, body shaking as he weeps.

“Yixing?” Yu Yan questions, still holding the alphas apart.

“I-I came home and smelled an alpha...and...and then  _ he  _ was touching Baekhyun, so I -- I didn’t mean to --” Yixing flails, eyes wide and genuinely at a loss.

Yu Yan turns to Jongdae now for some explanation, and since Baekhyun is a mess and neither of the beta mothers know Kyungsoo, he recounts the events leading up to the moment the women came home.

“So Kyungsoo walked with us here, he actually lives in the neighborhood too, and we were cleaning Baekhyunnie up before anybody could see him but then Yixing came home and -- well you saw,” Jongdae finishes, and he’s breathless now with the long story. Yixing looks absolutely mortified after hearing how Kyungsoo saved Baekhyun. It’s almost as if the boy who had Kyungsoo against the wall ready to bash his head in was a completely different Yixing. Yu Yan drops her hold on both boys when Yixing begins frantically apologizing and bowing to Kyungsoo.

“I-it’s okay, Yixing-ssi,” Kyungsoo stammers out, face red and halfway bowing back to the alpha.

“It’s not okay, Kyungsoo-ssi. Yixing knows better than to act before thinking or listening,” Yu Yan says, “but thank you for being so understanding.”

“I think you boys should be getting home now.” Hye-Joo remarks, still holding Baekhyun. “Ask your parents if you can come back tomorrow for dinner so we can thank you both properly for protecting Baekhyun, okay? Everyone will be on their best behavior by then.” She looks pointedly at Yixing and the alpha ducks his head.

Jongdae and Kyungsoo say their goodbyes and promise to be back tomorrow evening. Hye-Joo takes Baekhyun to the bathroom to give him a bath and finish cleaning him up. He sees Yu Yan lean down and start talking to Yixing quietly before Hye-Joo carries the omega out of the kitchen.

“My poor baby,” Hye-Joo says sadly after she’s done bathing Baekhyun and doctoring his face. She had the same reaction as Jongdae when she saw the bruises on his neck, but Baekhyun didn’t want to relive the moment to tell her exactly what happened. She sprays him down with the scent blocker and Baekhyun doesn’t even try to convince her not to use it tonight. The mother carries him to bed and studies his face for a long while.

“I’m okay, Umma,” Baekhyun tries his best to sound reassuring but his throat is ragged from crying so much and it comes out hoarse.

“Who did this to you?” Hye-Joo whispers.

“They -- it doesn’t matter. I’m okay.”

“It does matter Baekhyun. They need to face the consequences. This is the worst it’s ever been.”

Hye-Joo touches his neck lightly. Baekhyun just places his hand on his mom’s face and smiles up at her.

Baekhyun’s face still hurts but it’s exponentially better than it was before. His body is still achy though, and he’s got a headache from his head hitting the ground earlier, but he falls asleep quickly once he’s finally in bed. He would have slept the whole night through, but he wakes up to his door creaking open early in the morning. The sun hasn’t even come up yet.

“Baekhyunnie?”

Baekhyun can see Yixing’s outline standing in his doorway. He makes no attempt to step into the room, and Baekhyun realizes he must be waiting for permission.

“Yixing-hyung…” Baekhyun whines, and he reaches out for the alpha. Yixing walks over swiftly and slips into Baekhyun’s bed. The omega settles his hands on Yixing’s waist, but Yixing just lays there for a while gazing at Baekhyun’s face. His eyes look so sad, and Baekhyun feels something is his chest pinch. Eventually Yixing reaches up and touches a finger to the now bruised cuts all over the omega’s cheek. Baekhyun does his best not to flinch at the pressure.

“I’m fine,” Baekhyun whispers. Yixing still doesn’t say anything, but his eyebrows arch plaintively.

The alpha’s eyes fall his neck and Baekhyun has never wanted to hide from Yixing’s stare until now. He cups the side of Baekhyun’s neck and delicately brushes his thumb against his jaw.

Yixing takes in a deep, shaky breath and brings Baekhyun’s forehead to his lips.

“I’m so sorry Baekhyunnie. For everything. I wasn’t there for you, and then with that alpha. I’m so...sorry.” Yixing sounds wholly distressed and it makes Baekhyun’s heart hurt. “When I saw that alpha...Kyungsoo-ssi...touching you, and your face. I just -- I lost control. I didn’t mean to hurt any of you, Baekhyunnie.”

Baekhyun doesn’t say anything, just kisses Yixing’s collarbone where his lips are resting and holds him tighter when he feels the alpha shiver.

Baekhyun’s head is fuzzy and warm from being so close to Yixing and breathing in his raw scent, even if it does smell sad and heartbroken. His body doesn’t ache as much as it did just a few hours ago and his headache is miraculously gone. Baekhyun can’t explain why or how, but only Yixing can make him feel this good.

“I love you, Baek,” Yixing whispers in his ear, “so much.”

Baekhyun smiles into Yixing’s neck and presses his body closer to the alpha’s, tightens his hold on the older boy.

“I love you too, Yixing-hyung,” Baekhyun whispers back.

Yixing tangles their legs together under the blanket and they both fall asleep.

Christmas break goes by a lot smoother than it had started for Baekhyun. The bruises on his neck fade away quickly, and Baekhyun can’t be happier. He was getting tired of the sad look in Yixing and his moms’ eyes every time they looked at his throat.

Kyungsoo and Jongdae do come over the day after all the hoopla and are all too happy to devour the nian gao that Yu Yan prepared for them as thanks for helping Baekhyun.

Yixing apologizes profusely to Kyungsoo. The younger alpha forgave him the day they met, but every time Yixing encounters Kyungsoo he bows approximately one hundred times. Baekhyun finally puts a stop to it, and Yixing eventually stops calling his friend ‘Kyungsoo-ssi’.

On Christmas Eve, Baekhyun invites Jongdae and Kyungsoo over to exchange gifts. Jongdae loves his gift and Kyungsoo is surprised that he’s receiving one at all, even though he also prepared Baekhyun a gift in the short time they’ve been friends. Baekhyun is overjoyed, and he tackles the two boys in a hug until they’re all splayed out on the living room floor giggling.

That night Yixing sneaks into Baekhyun’s room for the second time ever after the night of the fight. Yu Yan and Hye-Joo are still awake and watching TV in the living room, so the alpha doesn’t need to be completely silent. Instead of slipping under the blanket next to Baekhyun, he turns on the light and sits on the end of the bed.

“Baekhyunnie, wake up. I have something for you,” Yixing says, and the excited tone of his voice has Baekhyun scrambling to sit up. Once he’s settled and looking expectantly at Yixing, the older boy produces from behind his back a small box wrapped in shiny blue gift wrap and a silver bow. Baekhyun gasps.

“Is this my Christmas gift?”

“It is. I wanted to wait until tomorrow but it’s past midnight and I couldn’t sleep so… here it is!” Yixing’s smile is so wide and genuine that it makes Baekhyun’s heart pitter patter. He takes the box from the alpha and opens it carefully to reveal a thin leather bracelet with a silver clasp and a single charm resting in the middle.

It’s the letter ‘ _ Y _ ’.

“For Yixing,” Yixing says, sounding a little nervous now after Baekhyun just stares at the bracelet without saying anything, “so I could, you know, always be there with you. A-and so you know that I’m always thinking about you. And when you look at it you’ll think about me too.”

Baekhyun puts his finger on the jewelry and traces the ‘ _ Y _ ’ slowly.

“I love it, Yixing-hyung,” Baekhyun breathes finally, and he looks up at the older boy, “help me put it on?”

Yixing looks relieved and he takes the box from Baekhyun to fasten the bracelet on the omega’s wrist. Baekhyun holds his arm out and turns it this way and that, admiring its simple beauty.

“I’ll never take it off,” Baekhyun declares, and he jumps into Yixing’s lap and latches onto him. Yixing laughs and squeezes Baekhyun tight against him.

“I’m really glad you like it, Baekhyunnie.”

Baekhyun grins and reaches up to cup Yixing’s jaw and he hears the alpha’s breath catch in his throat. He’s still perched on the older boy’s lap, and Baekhyun feels the atmosphere in the room suddenly grow heavy, but he doesn’t know what it means. Yixing’s scent is suddenly stronger than it was just moments ago and assaulting all of Baekhyun’s senses. It makes the omega’s stomach flip and his eyes feel heavy.

“Will you sleep in here tonight, Yixing-hyung?” Baekhyun question just to say something.

Yixing lets out the breath he was holding and closes his eyes as he nods. His invading scent fades out of the air and Baekhyun resists the weird urge to whimper.

“Okay Baekhyunnie, let’s go to bed.”

Baekhyun curls against Yixing’s chest and falls asleep to the feeling of Yixing’s hand clasped around his braceleted wrist.

On Christmas Day, Baekhyun gives Yu Yan and Hye-Joo their gifts, for which they are extremely happy to receive. They shower Baekhyun in kisses and tell him how much they love him, and Baekhyun returns the sentiment in kind.

Baekhyun waits until after dinner and dessert to give Yixing the gift he made for him. He drags the alpha to his room and presents the carefully wrapped box to him with a broad smile. Yixing unwraps it and laughs loudly in amusement as he takes out the contents to hold it in his palm.

It’s a  papier-mâché  sheep, complete with a red heart painted on its chest.

“From when you had to play a sheep in the school play,” Baekhyun explains, beaming.

“I can’t believe you remember that,” Yixing laughs as he inspects the little sheep closely.

“Mama showed me pictures of you in the costume! Do you like it?” Baekhyun asks, practically jumping where he stands.

Yixing looks at Baekhyun and reaches up to run his fingers through the omega’s hair, “I love it, Baekhyunnie.” His eyes are so soft and warm and Baekhyun feels like he can melt in them.

Baekhyun catches Yixing’s hand and points up at his ceiling. The alpha looks up and lets out a tiny gasp when he sees what Baekhyun is pointing at.

Mistletoe.

“Baekhyun what --” Yixing starts, but Baekhyun puts his hands on the alpha’s shoulders, stands on the tips of his toes, and kisses Yixing right on the mouth, effectively silencing him.

Yixing stands gaping at Baekhyun, blush rapidly coloring his cheeks, and the younger boy just smiles proudly.

“Merry Christmas, Yixing-hyung,” the omega says.

Yixing takes a deep, trembling breath and finally smiles back. He grabs Baekhyun’s head with a hand on either side of his face and leans down to kiss the omega’s forehead, then pulls him into a hug.

“Merry Christmas, Baekhyunnie.”

\- - - - -

When Baekhyun returns to school he spends every moment with Jongdae and his newfound friend Kyungsoo. Even though their personalities are on opposite ends of the spectrum, Baekhyun believes the beta and alpha are slowly becoming closer to one another. He even catches Kyungsoo fighting to keep a disinterested expression on his face at some of Jongdae’s jokes.

Yixing dotes on Baekhyun more than ever before and, much to Jongdae’s displeasure, he even meets the three boys in front of the elementary school occasionally to walk with them home.

He holds Baekhyun’s hand the entire way.

Hyoyeon and Yoongi are expelled from the school and, thanks to Kyungsoo, nobody lays a finger on the omega for the rest of their elementary school days.

Kyungsoo, Jongdae, and Baekhyun graduate from elementary school and Yixing attends their graduation ceremony with Hye-Joo and Yu Yan, and Baekhyun has three framed photos in his room that commemorate the whole event.

The first is of Baekhyun and Jongdae squishing Kyungsoo between them in a hug. They had to sneak up behind the alpha to catch him off guard. Kyungsoo would have gladly hugged Baekhyun and posed for a picture with him, but he would never engage Jongdae in such a way, so the beta and omega devised a plan to get the three of them in group hug. Yu Yan acted fast to capture the moment, and Kyungsoo’s surprised expression makes Baekhyun giggle affectionately every time he looks at the photo.

The second is of Baekhyun and his moms standing in front of the school, all three with wide smiles on their faces and Baekhyun’s graduation certificate on display. Hye-Joo has tears in her eyes because her “baby is growing up too fast.” Yu Yan looks radiant and proud. Baekhyun’s eyes are focused past the camera, looking at the cameraman who just so happened to be Yixing.

The third, and Baekhyun’s favorite by far if the fact that he has it sitting on his bedside table is anything to go by, is of himself and Yixing. It’s a candid of the two of them walking down a hallway. Baekhyun is holding onto Yixing’s arm with both hands and looking up at him adoringly while telling him some story he can’t remember now. Yixing is looking down at Baekhyun with the same enchanted expression and smiling softly, dimple deep and on display. The alpha is in his high school uniform and much, much taller than all of the students at the ceremony. Baekhyun remembers thinking how handsome Yixing looked that day.

Baekhyun thinks he looks handsome every day, really.

Summer is upon them once more, and it seems like everything falls into place. Baekhyun feels like life is perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you read to the very end then thank you so much *sobs intensely*
> 
> i’m moving back to my university soon and starting school again so it’s going to be hectic but i’m hoping to have the next section done and posted without a huge delay ^_^  
> part two will be quite a bit longer since it covers a larger span of baek’s life than just a couple of years, so please look forward to it :)  
> i’m horrible at keeping things secret so here are a few things to anticipate in part two aka spoilers: older baekxing, jealous yixing, baek’s adolescence/puberty, heartbroken baek, some brief sebaek if you squint, not so brief baekyeol, some smut (finally), and more  
> subscribe and i will literally love you forever <3 <3 <3

**Author's Note:**

> i will explain more in the actual story about the dynamics, but here are some things to know about this au:
> 
> \- yixing is four years older than baek
> 
> \- emphasis on the fact that baek and yixing are NOT blood brothers
> 
> \- there are no wolves here, this is not a werewolf fic, no wolf stuff periodt
> 
> \- i'm using american school system: elementary school is kindergarten-5th grade (ages 6-11), middle school is 6th-8th grade (ages 12-14) and high school is 9th-12th grade (ages 15-18)
> 
> so i'm finally back with an abo fic (i have other stories on aff under the same name if you feel like checking it out)  
> writing this has honestly been a dream of mine because it's abo & it's baekxing, which are two of my favorite things so please enjoy <3


End file.
